By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Eight-members of the same family have died in an inferno that swept through their grass thatched house in Nsama district.
The family members include the mother and her seven children who were in the house at the time of the incident while the father was away on fishing endeavours.
Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said Edith Kalembwe,31, and her seven biological children ranging from 2 to 18 years, died after a grass thatched shelter they were sleeping in caught fire.
Mr Hamoonga said this occurred on August 7, 2022 at around 22:00 hours in Katwatwa Village of Nsama Chiefdom in Nsama District.
He said it is suspected that they retired to bed leaving a burning brazier besides them.
“Police visited the scene and found all the bodies lying dead in one place with most of their body parts burnt to ashes” he said.
Mr Hamoonga said brief Facts are that on August 7, 2022 at around 21:00 hours, Edith Kalembwe together with her Seven children entered the grass thatched shelter which they used as a dwelling house to sleep and with them was a brazier to keep them warm.
He said fire from a burning brazier spread to the rest of the shelter making it difficult for anyone to escape from there and they were later all burnt to death.
Mr Hamoonga said Richard Musonda who happens to be the head of the house was away from home for a period of two days for fishing and was only called on phone by neighbours and informed of the ordeal.
He said the eight dead bodies were retrieved from the scene and deposited in the hospital awaiting post-mortem and burial.
